IPL 2018: Match 56, CSK vs KXIP - Chennai Super Kings Predicted XI

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will face the battered Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) at the MCA International Stadium in Pune in the last league match of this edition. Though they have qualified for the playoffs, the Men in Yellow will be looking to sort out the issues in their line-up and it will be interesting to see if they will test their bench. On the other hand, this game is by no means a dead rubber for the visitors as they still stand an outside chance to grab the fourth place in the points table.

The game against Delhi Daredevils (DD) must have proved to be a wake-up call for MS Dhoni and his Men. They failed to adapt to the conditions which will very important for them going ahead. The matches will be played in Mumbai and Kolkata where the ball travels the distance and their death overs bowling needs to improve. The middle-order has been mostly untested thanks to their consistent openers but they’ve stepped up whenever it is needed the most.

Here we bring you the predicted XI of CSK for this game:

Openers (Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson)

The opening duo of Ambati Rayudu and Shane Watson have done more than enough this season to continue at the top of the order going into the knockouts. The former is in the race for the Orange Cap and has been amazingly consistent. It is important for him to extend his purple patch for one more week and play a huge role. Rayudu has so far scored 585 runs in 13 matches and also has a century to his name which holds him in a good stead as far as his confidence is concerned.

Shane Watson struggled to get going in the chase on a slow pitch and should be a one-off blip in one of his best seasons. He has batted superbly and fearlessly providing so many good starts to the Men in Yellow. Pune has been the favourite venue this year and would love to get few more runs under his belt. Watto hasn’t bowled much recently but going forward he might have to fill in for a couple of overs mostly.

Middle Order (Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Dhruv Shorey)

Suresh Raina hasn’t had the best of the seasons and this is a great opportunity for him to play fearlessly. There will be no pressure whatsoever and he can come to the party with a good knock in this game. He has scored three half-centuries so far but has failed to stamp his authority so far and CSK will be itching to see him among the runs. Dhruv Shorey might get another opportunity to show his prowess as Sam Billings has failed to make an impact in the middle-order. If he manages to impress his skipper, Shorey might well play in the playoffs as well.

MS Dhoni found it tough to get going against the spinners at the Kotla. But there won’t be any worries about his form in the CSK camp as he has finished games with authority finding his old groove. His captaincy has been spot on without a doubt and his experience will definitely come to the fore as the tournament approaches its business end.

All-Rounders (Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja)

Something has gone wrong with Dwayne Bravo as the tournament has progressed. He is currently far from his best while bowling at the death. CSK has been more often than not banking on him to come good as Dhoni has mostly kept his three overs at the backend of the innings. He needs to find his lines else his team might struggle when the game will go down to the wire.

Ravindra Jadeja managed to pack a punch with the bat coming down the order to bat last night. It was a confidence-boosting outing for him as he also bowled well. He might be promoted up the order just to check if he can fare decently. His role with the ball has increased and hasn’t disappointed at all so far. An all-round Jadeja has the ability to work wonders for the fortunes of CSK.

Bowlers (Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir, Lungi Ngidi)

Deepak Chahar will definitely remain the new-ball bowler for his team. The wicket in Pune allows him to swing the new cherry a fair way which will keep him in good shape as well. Dhoni might bowl him out in the first 10 overs itself as he is more effective in this period. Shardul Thakur has improved significantly after he was dropped midway through the season. He has been able to land his knuckle balls properly which are proving tough for the batsmen to hit.

Imran Tahir should come in to bolster the bowling attack after Harbhajan Singh has failed to even complete his quota of overs in the last couple of matches. Tahir leg-spin is deceptive and he is known to rose to the occasion. It will be interesting to see how he approaches this game ahead of the playoffs and if he does well, might also feature in the first qualifier. Lungi Ngidi is set to share the new ball with Chahar and he will be tipped to take the onus to bowl at the death as well. So far his pacy deliveries have worked well and Dhoni should show more faith in him.

Keep following CricTracker for more news and updates